This property has a documented history as an industrial and manufacturing facility predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could help fund the multi-phase investigation and remediation work ahead under Wisconsin DNR oversight.

Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible

Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Wisconsin — and those policies may provide coverage that remains enforceable today. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.

Industrial fuel oil storage operations at this property — including the use of 250,000-gallon aboveground storage tanks, a pump house, and distribution piping — were conducted for decades before 1986, and the petroleum volatile organic compounds, PAHs, and metals now confirmed in soil and groundwater originated during that extended period of pre-1986 activity. The future costs of completing Wisconsin DNR Environmental Remediation Program requirements — including ongoing groundwater investigation, vapor intrusion assessment, cross-boundary soil remediation where contamination has migrated into the adjacent municipal park, and long-term monitoring to achieve compliance with NR 140 and NR 720 standards — represent substantial obligations that historical pre-1986 carriers may be required to fund.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.